Dustin May stellar in Dodgers’ win over A’s

Dodgers pitcher Dustin May’s biggest challenge on a chilly 54-degree Monday evening in the Oakland Coliseum wasn’t the opposing lineup.

It was trying to stay warm and loose while his teammates used their keen batting eyes to push Athletics starter Frankie Montas’ pitch count to 90 in the first three innings, a patient approach that helped the Dodgers build an early seven-run lead en route to an eventual 10-3 victory.

May was hardly fazed by the long stretches of inactivity. The flame-throwing right-hander gave up a leadoff single to Mark Canha in the first inning, a two-out single to Mitch Moreland in the sixth and nothing else.

In striking out eight in six shutout, two-hit innings, May matched career highs for innings and strikeouts. Of his 85 pitches, 57 were strikes.

Mixing a sinking fastball that averaged 97.7 mph with a four-seam fastball (98.4 mph), nasty cut-fastball (93.0) and occasional curve (84.9 mph), May induced a career-best 16 swings and misses, four more than his previous high.

“You just gotta stay locked in,” said May, who wore a hoodie between innings to stay warm. “It’s a big league game, we’re here to do a job and get guys out. You have to stay locked in no matter what the situation is, staying hot, being able to stay warm in a cold dugout. That was the biggest thing.”

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April 5, 2021

Corey Seager hit a clutch three-run, two-out double in the second inning, Zach McKinstry had three hits and drove in three runs, and Will Smith (third inning) and Justin Turner (eighth) hit solo homers for the Dodgers, who extended their win streak to four but suffered two key losses in doing so.

Chris Taylor was smoked on the left elbow by a 96-mph fastball in the top of the third and was pulled in the bottom of the third, the valuable utility man diagnosed with a left-elbow bruise. X-rays were negative.

Then in the top of the ninth, with the Dodgers holding a commanding 10-3 lead, Cody Bellinger got clipped on the left ankle by A’s reliever Reymin Guduan while lunging for the first base bag on an infield single to first base.

Both players fell to the ground in foul territory. Bellinger, the 2019 National League most valuable player who was slowed this spring while recovering from right-shoulder surgery, limped off the field and into the clubhouse.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Bellinger got cleated on the lower part of his left calf and was sore but did not suffer an ankle injury. He will be reevaluated Tuesday and was listed as day to day.

With the Dodgers up by seven runs at the time, would Roberts prefer Bellinger not risk a serious injury for an infield hit?

“No, no, he’s a ballplayer, and I think it’s hard to tell a player to kind of ratchet down,” Roberts said. “We talk about playing the game one way. That’s how the Dodgers play baseball.”

The winless A’s have given up at least eight runs in each of their first five games. They entered the game as only the fifth team since 1901 to surrender eight or more runs in each of their first four games.

Montas struck out two in a scoreless, 25-pitch first but was unable to escape damage in a 36-pitch second in which Max Muncy and Taylor singled and Edwin Rios walked to load the bases with one out.

McKinstry’s sacrifice fly gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman couldn’t handle Mookie Betts’ hard grounder down the line, a play that was ruled a hit that loaded the bases for Seager, who one-hopped the wall in center for a three-run double and a 4-0 lead.

The Dodgers weren’t through with Montas. Smith lined a homer off the left-field foul pole in the third for a 5-0 lead. Muncy singled to center, and Taylor was hit by a pitch.

Rios struck out, but McKinstry looped an RBI single to right for a 6-0 lead, and Taylor, who took third on McKinstry’s hit, scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-0.

The A’s scored three runs in the eighth off Dodgers left-hander David Price, who gave up a solo homer to Canha and RBI singles to Chapman and Ka’ai Tom.

Ring ceremony highlights weekend

The Dodgers will receive their World Series rings and raise their championship banner before Friday’s home opener against the Washington Nationals, but the weekend’s pregame events won’t end there.

The team announced it will hold a tribute to Tommy Lasorda before Saturday night’s game and a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of Fernandomania on Sunday.

On the field, their uniforms will feature gold trim and their caps will feature a World Series champions patch.

Friday’s pregame events will be televised by SNLA and carried on radio (AM 570, AM 1020). Dodger Stadium’s gates will open at 10:30 a.m.

Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 11:45 a.m. for the beginning of the ceremony. Reduced capacity crowds of 15,650 are expected for each game.